Chongqing and Shanghai have been selected as the pilot ports of the China-EU Smart and Secure Trade Lanes (SSTL) phase 2 project, Xinhua reports.

The SSTL project's 16th working conference was recently held in Chongqing. Representatives from European Commission's Directorate General for Taxation and Customs Union, representing customs of the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, China and the World Customs Organisation (WCO) attended.

According to director-general of the Chongqing customs Ma Zhongyuan, the second phase adds the ports of Le Havre, Genoa, Hamburg, Antwerp and Zeebrugge on the EU side. In addition, more enterprises will be allowed to participate in the scheme, including Non-Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) companies, not at first included. Transshipments and consolidated containers will also be allowed in phase 2 of the scheme.

SSTL is the first international project of implementation of WCO's Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade. It aims to materialise the whole-journey surveillance of ocean shipping containers and build up safe and intelligent global transportation practice through the cooperation of China and EU customs and enterprises.

First phase of the project launches a route between Shenzhen and Felixstowe and Rotterdam and the first batch of cargo was shipped in November 2007. Eight companies in China took part in the project. So far, Shenzhen customs has received declaration of 1,430 batches of exports to be shipped under the scheme.